The More Things Change
by ijs1337
Summary: Drake and Elena are happily married, and have a baby girl to look after. Everything is perfect. Until they are attacked by a shadowy organization, and Elena and the baby are kidnapped.
1. Chapter 1

The More Things Change

Chapter 1

Quaint-For A Time

**Note: I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

"I'm just saying, our adventures are not appropriate bedtime story material." Elena said, sitting on the couch in front of the TV.

"Oh, come on. It doesn't get more outlandish than the trouble we got up to." Nate replied, sitting next to her, a steaming mug in each hand.

"That may be, but she's too young to hear that sort of stuff."

"Okay, fine. I'll wait till she's six."

Nate handed her one of the mugs.

"At least." Elena said firmly.

"At least." Nate agreed.

They tapped the mugs together.

"And you'll not mention the few hundred people you killed while you did all that." She said.

"Of course not. But you got a few shots off too, if memory serves." He said slyly.

"Yes I did. But I never crashed a plane singehandedly."

"Okay, but I didn't quite expect that to happen the way it happened."

"I'll give you that."

They each took a long drink, and listened to the rain pouring outside.

The lights in the room flickered, then went out.

"What the?" Elena said.

"Power's out. One of us should go check on Ellie." Nate said.

"What for?"

"Power outages are scary when you're a little kid."

"Sure."

"Scared the crap out of me."

Nate walked into the kitchen to look for a flashlight as Elena headed for Ellie's room on the second floor.

A child's wail cut through the silence. Nate smirked. Power outages were scary for little kids.

Then he heard Elena scream.

Nate ran to and up the steps.

Sprinting down the hallway, he reached the doorway to Ellie's room. He saw two men in black, with goggles on. One was reaching into Ellie's crib. The other had Elena in a chokehold.

Nate ran through the door way, and felt something hard slam into the back of his head.

He fell, twisting backwards, and saw another man standing above him, rifle butt held high, about to come down on his face.

Nate thrust his hands out, and caught the rifle butt as it descended. He kicked at the man's knee, and felt it splinter beneath his foot. He jumped to his feet and punched the man right in his forehead. Turning to charge at the men holding Ellie and Elena, he was suddenly yanked backward.

Another black-suited, goggle-wearing attacker pulled him into the hallway, and shoulder charged him down it. Stopping at the top of the steps, he punched Nate in the face, and kicked him.

Nate fell.

Crashing in a heap at the bottom of the steps, Nate rolled into the kitchen as bullet-holes burst into existence on the carpet. He scrambled to the cabinet beneath the sink. Opening the door, he pulled out a pistol. Turning, he pointed and shot, acting on auto-pilot, and blew his attackers' brains out.

He ran back up the steps and into Ellie's room.

It was empty.

He heard what sounded like a truck starting outside.

Nate leapt through the window at the back of the room, and rolled down the roof of the garage. He fell to his knees on the rain-slicked driveway. He noticed that all the streetlights were out.

Looking up, he saw a black van just ahead of him, one of the goggle-wearing men getting inside it.

He ran at it, firing his gun.

The van pulled a u-turn, and shot off into the night.

Nate sank to his knees. Tears started running down his face, mixing with the rain.


	2. Chapter 2

The More Things Change

Chapter 2

Who We Are

**Note: I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

The few hours after were a blur. Nate remembered dragging himself off of the street, calling Sully, and not much else. He was now sitting in a police station, giving a statement to an detective.

"I'm sorry to have to ask this, , but how was your marriage?" The cop sitting on a sofa holding a notepad and pen asked.

"Why do you need to that?" Drake asked.

"Just being thorough, covering all the bases. No offense intended, but with stuff like this, about 80% of the time, one of the spouses is responsible." The officer replied.

"So you're asking me that to tell how likely I am to have done something to my wife and daughter?"

"Just asking, ."

Nate slumped forward, and put his head in hands.

"I'm sorry, just give me minute." He said.

"Of course."

Nate took a deep breath, then pulled his head back up.

"Now, officers found an empty bullet casing and a lot of blood in your kitchen. We also found several holes in your carpet. Can you tell us where those came from?"

"Why would you need to know that?"

"Every little bit helps."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me, ."

"Okay. What if I told you a bunch of guys with black suits, body armor, nightvision goggles, and silenced guns attacked me and kidnapped my wife and daughter, and that I shot one of them in the head with a gun I keep underneath the sink?"

"I'd check your blood for drugs."

"Which is why I didn't tell you that."

"Are you saying that's what happened?"

"Are you going to shove a needle in my arm and check for coke?"

"In all likelihood, yes."

"Then that isn't what happened."

They continued on like this for another ten minutes. The detective was nothing if not persistant.

The elevator at the far end of the room dinged, and man in a dark blue suit walked out.

The man walked right up to Drake and the detective. He pulled something out of the pocket of his suit.

"I'm sorry, officer, but I think I'm going to have to ask you to step aside." The man held up a ID card that marked him as a federal agent.

"And why, exactly, do I need to step aside?" The detective asked.

"You don't need to know that." The agent replied.

The agent sat down were the detective had been sitting a few moments ago.

"So, now feds are getting involved? What exactly is going on here?" Nate asked.

"So, that story about men in body armor and nightvision goggles was true?" The agent asked.

"Yeah, that's what happened. You more inclined to believe me?"

"As a matter of fact I am."

"You check my house?"

"Yes."

"That cop didn't mention the body of the guy I shot."

"There was no body, . Just the stain."

"How's that-"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, . This incident is of some interest to us."

"Who are you?"

The agent smiled.

Then pulled a pistol from inside his suit coat and pointed it at Nate's head.

Nate ducked just as the gun went off. He charged forward, and knocked the agentoff the sofa. As the man hit the floor, his pistol slid out of his hand. Nate punched him in the face, then dove for the weapon.

Getting to his feet, Nate pointed the gun at the agent as every cop drew their guns, uncertain of what to do. The detective Nate had been talking to and one other cop burst through the door.

"Alright. Now, who are you?" Nate asked the agent.

"Gee, I forget. Could you remind me?"

Nate fired the gun, burning a hole a inch from the agent's head.

"Who are you?" He yelled, oblivious to the two cops now training their weapons on him.

"It doesn't matter who I am, . What matters is who we are, who I work for."

"Fine. Who are you, plural?"

"Just people with an interest in you, and the trouble you've gotten up to throughout your life."

"Just what I need. Another secret society."

"Oh, you referring to Katherine Marlowe's little spy network?" The agent started chuckling. "Quaint, at best."

"You still haven't given me straight answer."

"True, I haven't. I'm here, , because the majority of our top men feel you are owed a little information about us. We know everything about you, but you know nothing about us, and we have your wife and child. We aren't completely ruthless."

"Just mostly."

"Quite so."

"You know, most messengers from secret groups wouldn't boast about that stuff in a police station."

"Oh, that's an completely inconsequential detail, . Because the first thing you need to know about us is that we have people everywhere." The second cop in the room pulled out a cell phone and dialed in a number. "Isn't that right?"

An explosion ripped through the building.

The second cop shot the detective and agent in the head. Nate tackled him, punched him until he stopped moving, then pulled out his phone. He hit number 1 on his speed dial.

"Come on, pick up, pick up. Sully? It's Nate. Listen, I need you to drive down to the police station, 17th precinct. Now." He put his phone away, and looked down at the cop.

"You and I need to have a little chat." He said.

**In case there's any confusion, that second cop triggered a planted bomb with his phone. Be prepared for a nasty Nate in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

The More Things Change

Chapter 3

A Chat

**Note: Be prepared for a nasty Drake. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

"I just want to go on record and say that I am extremely uncomfortable with this." Sully said, gazing at the unconscious cop tied to a chair in the middle of his apartment.

"Yeah, you're not the only one." Cutter added. Chloe nodded in agreement.

"Jeez. Listen guys, you don't want any part of this, just say so. I completely understand if any of you don't want to help with…this." Nate said, gesturing to the cop.

"Nate, who the hell d'you think you're talking to here? You know I'll back you, no matter what. I'm just…worried about all this." Sully replied.

"Same here." Chloe added.

"What she said." Cutter said.

"What are you worried about?" Nate asked.

"You mean besides the fact that we've got a cop tied to a chair, and you plan to beat him till he tells you something?" Cutter said. "And that the guys he works for can pass for feds? And plant bombs in police stations? And literally have people everywhere?"

"Okay, I get it. We're kind of in over our heads. And that's my point." Nate replied. "I'm the only one here with any real stake in this. You guys don't need to help me."

"Yeah, so we just walk away cause we're a bit scared and squeamish, and leave Elena and Ellie out in the cold? I don't think so." Chloe said angrily.

"Alright. Just, keep out of sight, unless I say."

"Why should we do that?" Sully asked.

"What if this guy has people watching him? What if he escapes and talks to his pals? You want to end up the hit list of these people?"

"Not particularly."

"Then wait in the other room. I'll yell if I need help."

"Fine."

Sully, Chloe, and Cutter walked out, leaving Nate alone with the cop.

"Alright. Here we go."

Nate had to slap the cop three times before he lifted his head.

"You need something, man?" The cop asked.

Nate punched him in the nose.

"You're going to tell me who you work for, and where they're holding my wife and kid." Nate said forcefully.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Cause it'll hurt a lot if you don't."

"You have any idea what'll happen to me if I talk? The people I work for, they don't take kindly to snitches."

"I think you should be a bit more worried about the immediate danger standing in front of you."

"Yeah, cause YOURE the danger I need to be worried about." He snickered.

Nate punched him in the face. Then in the ribs. Then kicked him in the knee.

"That feel good?" He asked.

"Actually, yeah." The cop answered. "Keep it up."

"Certainly."

Nate hit him in the face two more times, stamped on his right foot, and kicked him in the other knee.

"This takes as long as it takes, buddy."

"Well, I hope you've cleared your calendar."

Nate kicked him between his legs. The cop gasped in pain, then started smiling.

"Thanks for that. I've had this itch there all day."

Nate gave him a murderous look, and stormed out of the room.

Sully, Cutter, and Chloe got up from the table they were sitting at.

"What's…Jesus, how hard did you hit him?" Sully asked, seeing Nate's bruised knuckles.

"Not hard enough. You have a spare revolver I can borrow?"

"Yeah, I keep one in that armoir, over there. But what do you need a gun for?"

"Encouragement."

Nate walked over to the armoir and opened it. He pulled out a Wes .44.

"What do you mean, 'encouragement'?"

"Exactly that." Nate slid the chamber out, and pulled out the bullets. He removed six bullets from the casings, then put five of the casings back in. He pulled a bullet from his pocket, and loaded it into the gun.

"Whoa, wait, what the hell are you doing?"

"Raising the stakes."

"You're going to shoot him?"

"He's got a one-in-five chance."

Nate scooped a .45 off the table.

"So what do you need that one for?"

"Call it insurance."

Nate walked back to the room.

"Oh, you got guns now?" The cop said, eyeing the weapons in Nate's hands.

"Here's how this is going to work, jackass." Nate held up the revolver. "We're going to play a little game." He spun the chamber, then slapped it into place and thumbed the hammer. "You don't answer my questions, we test your luck."

"Go ahead."

Nate walked up to him, held to gun to his forehead, and pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked. Nothing happened.

"Feel like talking now?"

"Not really."

"Fine, let's change the stakes." Nate pointed the gun between the cop's legs. He pulled the chamber out, and rotated it until he saw the bullet casing with the scratch on it. He slid the chamber back in. "You want to risk that?"

"Try me."

Nate pulled the trigger. There was a flash and bang, and the cop screamed.

Sully, Cutter, and Chloe burst into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sully asked.

The cop started laughing.

"What's he laughing at?" Cutter asked.

"This spineless, stupid, self-righteous little shit in front of me." The cop said. "He makes such a damn show of it, doesn't he? But he can't bring himself to make it real. We take his wife and baby girl, and the worst he can do to one of us for answers is to shoot me in the balls with a blank!" He laughed again.

Nate tossed the revolver down, and cocked the .45.

"Fine." He said, and shot the cop between the legs again.

This time there was a burst of blood.

"Oh yeah! That's the stuff! Good old-fashioned hot lead!" The cop screamed, still laughing.

"Who are you working for?" Nate yelled, holding the .45 to the cop's head.

"Sorry pal, but I can't tell you that, because I'm not entirely sure. I just take checks for little favors, like making sure certain bodies never reach the coroner's office." He smiled as he saw that everyone there realized what he meant. "But I can tell you exactly who I am."

"And who are you?"

The cop smiled. "I'm the decoy, Drake. Just the frigging decoy."

Three large projectiles crashed through the windows, rolled to the center of the room, and exploded in clouds of smoke.

There was the sound of windows breaking, in the same room and the one nearby. Nate could make out the shapes of glowing blue dots through the smoke.

A rifle butt slammed into the back of his head.

He twisted before he hit the ground.

A boot came down on his forehead.

He saw was a man who looked exactly like the ones that had taken Elena and Ellie, standing over him and holding a black bag.

Then, all he saw was darkness.

**Again, in the case of any confusion, this cop helped hide the body of the guy Nate killed in the kitchen in Chapter 1. Just warning in advance, the next chapter will hopefully be extremely shocking and intense. **


	4. Chapter 4

The More Things Change

Chapter 4

In A Tight Spot

**Note: Hopefully, this one is a shocker/nail-biter. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

Nate's limp body was dropped into a metal chair. Handcuffs, manacles, chains and rope were placed on him. A man reached over, yanked the bag off of his head, and slapped him a couple times.

"He's out." The man said.

"Near asphyxiation does that." Another man said.

"Hit him again, then give him a few minutes. If he's not up in five, zap him." A third man said.

"What voltage?" The first man asked.

"Half a defib charge should probably get him up. Actually, do it when I'm in the booth. I'd like to get this going as quickly as possible. I assume everything is prepared?"

"Everything's ready, sir."

"Good. I'll leave you gentlemen to it." The third man walked to the only door in the room. "Make sure not to kill him." He added before leaving.

The two men left inside attached wired pads to Nate's forehead.

There was a jolt, and Nate woke up screaming, every nerve on fire. He twisted and shook, hands clenching into fists without permission from his brain, teeth chattering, eyes twitching. After about a minute, he finally got control of himself again.

A blinding light burst on above him.

"Hello, . Can you hear me?" A voice asked, coming from high up, sounding like it was being piped through a microphone.

Nate didn't answer.

A fist with brass knuckles came from his left and nailed him in the face. Another one came from the right before he could recover from the first punch.

"I said 'Can you hear me?'" The voice said.

"Sorry, I'm having trouble understanding you. Those lights aren't blinding enough." Nate replied, spitting blood from his mouth onto the floor.

He screamed again as another shock went through him.

"Same smart-ass bastard." The voice said. Nate listened, and thought he caught a hint of an accent, British.

"We know each other, pal?" Nate asked.

"In a manner of speaking. But that is not important right now."

"And I'm sure you're going to tell me what _is_ important."

The fists came at him again, giving him three hits apiece.

"Quite right, Drake. What is important right now is what we want from you-"

"You mean 'we' in the sense of the people you work with, or 'we' in the sense of the other guy in your head?"

An aluminum bat slammed into his gut.

"What we want from you, Drake, is your assistance. Quite frankly, we don't much care what we have to do to get it."

"Go to hell."

The bat descended again, this time on his knees. Then again into his gut. He screamed as another shock wracked him.

"Despite how much this all must hurt, I have a feeling you wouldn't help us no matter what we do to you. Fortunately, you are not the only person we are holding."

There were several loud rolling sounds.

Four TV screens flickered on.

Nate looked at the first one.

On the screen was grainy footage of Cutter, tied to a chair, blood dripping from his mouth, one eye swollen shut from a bruise.

"No." Nate whispered.

The next screen showed Chloe, strapped to a cot, blood pooling beneath her cut hands and wrists.

The third screen was a top-down shot of Ellie's face, sleeping, a gun held beneath her chin.

The last screen showed Elena, chained spread-eagle to a wall, face bruised, shirt torn, a dark stain between her legs.

"As you can see, we are nothing if not thorough. So, with this new information in mind, will you help us?"

Nate didn't answer. He couldn't. He was failing to process what he was seeing.

"Fine. I see you need some encouragement. Some proof that we're serious. Bring him in."

A door opened, and Nate could see a man in a dark suit dragging in a chair, with another man tied down to it.

The man in the suit pushed the chair-bound man into the light.

The man in the chair had a red button-down shirt on. Tape covered his mouth. His face was bruised in several places. Blood ran from his nose and from a cut on the top of his head, discoloring his hair and mustache.

"Sully." Nate whispered, terror filling him.

"Do it." The voice said.

Nate heard a pistol being cocked.

Sully lifted his head, and looked Nate in the eyes.

"NO!" Nate screamed.

Sully's forehead exploded, spraying Nate with tiny dots of red.

Nate went mad, struggling in his chair, yanking his wrists against the handcuffs. He yanked again, and tore them apart.

The bat slammed into his face, knocking the chair off its legs.

Shock after shock went through him.

After the tenth shock, the chair was righted again, Nate left staring at Sully's face.

"I suggest you sit here, and think about what you let happen. And whether you'd be able to stand it if that happened again." The voice said.

Three men in suits filed out of the room.

The TV screens still flickered.

Nate let his head drop, and felt tears leak from between his eyes.

**Well. Hopefully no-one is traumatized. The next chapter will contain a bit of insight into the group behind all this, and just who its top men are.**


	5. Chapter 5

The More Things Change

Chapter 5

Unconscionable Methods

**Note: Even though we get some insight into the bad guys here, I don't want to give away any identities just yet, so you may need to pay close attention to the order of the speakers. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

Two men stood in a booth with a two-way mirror in front of them, gazing down Nathan Drake, the TV's showing the only people he cared about, and the body of Victor Sullivan.

"Just what the hell were you thinking?" One of them said.

"I was thinking that we needed a way to get him to cooperate." The other man replied.

"So you kidnap his family, blow up a police station, kidnap him and his friends, torture him, show him footage of his friends and family post-torture, then, as far as he can tell, kill the man he thinks of as a father?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Christ."

"You wanted him to be cooperative. He'll be cooperative."

"No, he'll barely work with us, mislead us, and kill us when we turn our backs to him."

"You don't know him like I do."

"Don't I? I'm beginning to wonder if you really do know him as well as you've claimed to." He pointed down at Drake. "That man down there is probably the most skilled fortune hunter in the world. And you just gave him damn good reason to not have any inclination to help us. But that's not exactly what worriers me. No, what worries me is the fact that he is also probably the most dangerous man in the world. We both know exactly what he's capable of and you've given him no reason to hold back whatsoever should he see an opportunity. You made this as personal a grievance as humanly possible."

"You know him by reputation. I know him by experience."

"What experience?"

"Sure, he's skilled. Sure, he's deadly. But there's one thing about him that I knew would make this work."

"And what might that be?"

"He's loyal to his friends. Insanely so. You know what he did when he thought a certain pirate was holding Sullivan? He broke out, clambered through a ship graveyard, and killed every man between him and Ramses, all without a moment's hesitation. That's what he did to save a friend from torture. How far do you think he'd go to save his other friends from death? Or his wife and daughter?"

"I trusted you with getting him in, and you give me this. Can't believe I didn't keep a closer eye on what you were up to."

"You trusted me."

"And therein now lies a dilemma. Because now I'm not so sure I trust you anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure I trust your motives anymore, and by extension, whether I can trust you to remain professional about what we plan to do. I'm starting to wonder if this whole disaster was you using your experience with him in a somewhat harsh manner, or if this is you trying to get back at him for what he did to you." The man looked down into the room, evaluating Drake and the dead body, and shook his head. "Just tell me you weren't actually stupid enough to-"

"Of course not."

"Well, at least we have that." The man walked to the door and opened it. "I'll go in first, see if I can't calm him down to the point of rationality."

"What, you don't think he'd like to see me to start with?"

"Under less strenuous circumstances, I'd say showing you to him would be like putting two timed cruise missiles in the same hanger, and seeing which explodes first. In the state you put him in, there's no telling what he'd do. So wait here until I call you. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

**So, who's this mystery man who has past experiences and a grudge with Nate? Sorry to say you'll have to wait for Chapter 6 to find out.**


	6. Chapter 6

The More Things Change

Chapter 6

A Proposal

**Note: Disregard whatever physical descriptions I might give you about the head honcho of this shadowy group, and just picture Michael Fassbender(X-Men First Class, Shame.) That's who I was thinking of when I thought of what he'd look like. There's also some more information and a twist or two in store. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

The door at the far end of room opened. Nate looked up. The TVs were pulled around close to his sides, but not completely out of his field of view. He could barely make out two men walking through the door, carrying a metal table with folding legs. They approached him and set up the table in the space between him and Sully's body. Then they moved the chair the body was strapped to a few feet to the right. They filed out of the room.

The door opened again, and a lone man walked in. As he got in the light, Nate could see what he looked like. Fairly handsome features, brown hair, a dark grey suit. The man held a folder in his right hand.

The man sat down in the chair opposite Nate. He set the file on his end of the table, face-down.

The man sighed. "Before we begin this little talk in earnest, I'd just like you to understand one thing;" The man leaned forward, and laced his fingers together. "I had no intention for any of this to happen."

Nate landed a gob of blood and spit right in front of the man's hands.

"A understandable reaction, . I guess this is somewhat my fault. Limited oversight can lead to your fellows interpreting their assignments in…unconventional ways. Just know that I truly wish that we had met under more pleasant circumstances."

"Yeah right."

"Despite that, I am also not a man to look a gift horse in the mouth. I've got a way of ensuring you don't try and put a bullet in my head, and do not think I won't utilize it if you force my hand."

"Just cut the theatrics and tell me what the hell you want from me."

"All in good time. First, there is one little case of mistaken identity I'd like to clear up."

The man reached over to Sully's body and grabbed his cheek.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" Nate screamed.

The man pulled, and Sully's cheek peeled off, showing a completely different skin tone beneath it.

The man pulled in certain spots, drawing off a latex mask that mimicked Sully's face perfectly, revealing a middle-aged Italian.

"A contact who decided the best way to earn a little extra money was to sell our secrets to our competitors." The man said, tossing the mask onto the table. "Even the man behind this fiasco wasn't stupid enough to give you real reason to want to harm any of us."

"I'd say everything I've gone through gives me damn good reason to harm you."

"Granted, but remember what I said about the gift horse?"

The TVs were rolled more into Nate's field of view.

"Much as I dislike such methods, I won't hesitate to use them if I deem it prudent. And whether or not I deem it prudent depends entirely on your conduct, ."

"Yeah, I get it. So what do you want from me?"

"Simply put, , I want your expertise. I want your assistance."

"What with?"

"What else?" The man picked up the file, turned it over, and tossed it.

The file spun in the air, and landed in front of Nate.

Stamped on the front of the file was the word 'ATLANTIS'.

"Are you serious?" Nate asked incredulously.

"Quite serious, ."

"You went to all this trouble to ask me to help you find a city that doesn't exist?"

"There's evidence enough, if you know where to look and have the resources to get it."

"Yeah, one bullshit story from a few hundred years ago."

"Now, you should know better than anyone that the true nature of such things are not often reflected by the tales told of them."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why try and find some mystical city that only one person has ever wrote about?"

"For the same reason you pulled a coffin off the sea floor, chased after a golden sarcophagus, a giant ball of fossilized tree sap, and a city in the middle of six-hundred miles of desert filled with poisoned water; I think I might get something out of it."

"You know exactly how all of those went horribly wrong, and you want to pursue this?"

"Well, it's not just me. How do you think I have the resources for all of this? I've got some backers and investors, some of whom believe in this just as much as I do, some who just hope for a quick influx of return funds."

"And let me guess; you need to deliver, or your unscrupulous backers cut you into pieces while you're still breathing?"

"You've spent far too much time with people who act like movie villains. My backers are nothing of the sort. If I gave you a list of all of them, you'd see a few prestigious universities, a few philanthropists, even some government grants."

"Why?"

"Because unlike so many of you fortune hunters, I'm not doing this for my own personal gain. I'm doing this because I think I might find something game-changing."

"Game-changing?"

"What exactly do you think would have happened if the El Dorado pathogen had gotten into the right hands? World peace through deterrence, perhaps? Or how about the potential medicinal benefits of the sap of the Tree of Life, after some study and alteration to reduce that nasty mutative business? Granted, whatever it was you found in Ubar, that wouldn't have done much for anyone but the masochistic drug users, but you can't deny the potential of these places and things to improve the lot of the world. That's what I hope to get out of this. My backers share my sentiments."

"So why do you want my help again?"

"Because you're three-for-three in the realm of mystical-object-and-place-finding. You're the best, and that's what I need."

"You're flattering."

"So, , will you assist me?'

"Do I have a choice?"

"Certainly. You have several choices, in fact. You can willingly assist me, and things will be much less painful and traumatic for all involved, or you can make me force your cooperation. Or, you can decide than friends and family aren't worth the trouble, and rot here for the rest of you life, knowing you got them killed."

"Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?"

"I'm sorry it needs to happen like this. I truly am."

"Sure you are."

"Oh, I nearly forgot. There's someone working for me whose an acquaintance of yours, the one who landed us in this little unpleasantness, and I don't want you to get shocked by who he is when you're on the job."

The door opened, and a man in a dark blue suit walked in.

Nate's eyes widened as the man stepped into the light.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Standing before him was a man he thought he'd killed three years ago.

Standing before him was Talbot.

**Did anyone see that coming(besides me)? Next chapter will be short, sweet, and probably the last before a new series is required.**


	7. Chapter 7

The More Things Change

Chapter 7

A Competency Test

**Note: Depending on whether or not I feel it's needed, this might be the last chapter in The More Things Change, with the plotline being continued in a sequel story. Let me know if you think that'd be a good idea or not cause I'm not sure myself. This is going to be a fairly short chapter, but hopefully funny in a really cool way. Also, whenever the story says 'the man' assume it's referring to the Micheal-Fassbender-look-allke-mastermind introduced in the previous chapter. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

"I understand you two have something of a history." The man in the grey suit said, smiling at the look on Nate's face. "I'm just hoping the two of you will be able to get past that."

"I doubt it." Nate said, his expression shifting from incredulous to loathing, his gaze still fixed on Talbot.

"Rest assured, he won't come off scott free if he decides to start something. I was clear with him on that when I offered him a place in this."

"When did you offer him a place in this?"

"When I encountered him in Yemen, half-dead, about two months after he fell into that sinkhole in Iram."

"So he's the new Houdini."

"Jealous much?" Talbot asked, speaking for the first time.

"Walking through that whole desert? No. I'm not jealous at all."

"Oh, careful." Talbot gestured to the TV screens. "Remember who we've-"

"Talbot, you seem to forget you've brought me up to speed here." The man said scathingly. "You aren't running the show here any longer. And if I'd known what you had been planning, I wouldn't have put you in charge of this in the first place."

"Of course, sir." Talbot said stiffly.

"Oh, you take orders now? What other tricks you do? You know, besides playing dead?" Nate asked.

", that's enough. Now, I don't expect you two to get along, but I do want the both of you to try and remain as professional as possible about this. Granted, you have slightly more motivation to do so, but let me make this perfectly clear to the both of you: In situations like this, I don't ask for favors. I express my expectations. So, I expect the two of you to keep the barbs to a minimum and not attempt to kill each other. Have I made myself clear on this matter?"

"Sure." Nate said.

"Perfectly." Talbot said.

"Good. Now, there's one last thing I'd like to do before we get underway." The man got up from his seat and walked around, stopping when he was behind Nate. "Talbot, if you'd be so kind as to leave and send the outer guards in."

"Certainly." Talbot left. A few seconds later, four men in black suits filed in, carrying rifles.

The man undid Nate's handcuffs. ", you are about to participate in, let's call it a competency test." He started to unwind the rope. "Attempt to do anything while I'm still in the room, I'm sure you can guess what will happen."

"So what do I do when you leave?" Nate asked. The rope was pulled off and tossed aside.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Just need to make sure you're still capable after this unpleasant little episode." He unlocked the manacles around Nate's feet and removed them. Then he unwound the chains.

The man coiled up the chains, and dropped them on the table in front of Nate.

"Just in case you need a quick way to even the odds a little. The test starts 120 seconds after I leave."

The man walked to the door. He opened it, and walked out.

Nate started counting in his head.

"What exactly are you doing?" Talbot asked.

"Making sure he's still capable." The man replied.

"You're giving him weapons."

"You followed my directions for this?"

"Yes."

"Then those guns will be empty by the time he gets his hands on them."

There was the muffled sound of gunfire from inside the other room.

"No decency." The man said sadly.

"What?"

"118 seconds. I said 120."

"Who do you think started first?"

"It really doesn't matter. I was just making an observation."

Some of the gunfire stopped for a few seconds, then picked up again at a faster tempo.

"Interesting."

After another thirty seconds, there wasn't a sound coming from the room.

"Should we check?"

"Wait a bit. I want to see what he does."

"What he does?"

There was the faint sound of glass shattering, then an explosion.

"What the hell was that?" The man asked.

"Grenade, probably." Talbot said.

"You gave these men grenades?"

"Only one man, only one grenade. Figured it couldn't hurt."

There was a smashing sound on the other side of the door that lead to the observation booth. The doorknob shook.

The door was kicked open, the knob on the other end clearly smashed off.

Nate walked out into the hallway and tossed an empty rifle at their feet.

Talbot and the man went back into the room.

The table was propped up sideways against the wall, the two-way mirror to the observation booth shattered.

The four guards were all dead. All but one had been shot. One had chain marks on his face. The final guard was tied to one of the two tables legs higher off the ground by his neck. His face was purple.

"Which one had the grenade?" The man asked.

"The one tied to the table." Talbot replied.

The mand Talbot walked back into the hallway.

"So, I pass?" Nate asked.

"With flying colors, ." The man replied, smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

The More Things Change

Chapter 8

A Flight with the Unexpected

**Note: Depending on whether or not I feel it's needed, this might be the last chapter in The More Things Change, with the plotline being continued in a sequel story. Let me know if you think that'd be a good idea or not cause I'm not sure myself.**

**I also need to say that further updates, period, will be more sporadic in their timing, as I'm back at school and am determined to avoid the typical '3rd-quarter-grade-slump.' I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Comments, reviews, and criticisms are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

"So, you have a private airfield?" Nate asked, rifles held to his back, walking behind the man and Talbot as the two men walked out of a large hanger.

"I do, Mr. Drake. I figured it would be a good use of some of the funds for this little venture to not be stuck in airports all the time."

"How much funding do you have for this, exactly?"

"A lot, . A lot."

"Yeah, like that wasn't obvious enough."

"I'd say sarcasm is unbecoming for men who do what we do, but sarcasm's your coping mechanism, isn't it?"

"You know me so well."

"And you're proving my point."

They kept walking, towards a medium-sized passenger plane.

"You know, in all the excitement, I never caught your name." Nate said.

"That's right. You didn't."

They walked for a few more seconds.

"You going to tell me what it is?"

"Jayden."

"That your first name or your last name?"

"Jayden will do for now, ."

"Alright. Jayden it is."

They walked until they were at the steps that led up into the plane.

"Gentlemen." Jayden said.

The guards behind Nate shoved him onto the steps.

"I'm getting on this?" He asked.

"Indeed." Jayden replied. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by who is else is on there."

Nate walked up the steps.

"What are you doing?" Talbot whispered.

"Keeping him compliant." Jayden answered. "Come on. We've a flight of our own to catch."

"Thought you said this was all private."

"It is."

"Well, what's the point of a private plane if it doesn't wait for you?"

Nate was shoved into the aisle leading into what would have been first class on a normal commercial airliner. But with a plane as small as the one he was in, the distinction didn't really translate.

He passed through a small dark blue curtain.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Chloe, and Cutter were sitting in the seats directly in front of him. A little further down, he could Elena and Ellie.

He let out a relieved laugh that was half a sob.

Everyone turned around, and looked shocked.

Elena suddenly slammed into him, hugging him tightly.

They stood there for a few minutes, knowing everything they wanted to say, and knowing they didn't have to say it.

They finally let go of each other.

Nate hugged Chloe and went to shake Cutter's hand, and then realized they were both looking at him like he was in terrible shape. Elena was looking at him that way too.

"I look that bad?" He asked.

"Like hell chewed you up and shat you back out mate." Cutter said, grabbing Nate's hand in both of his.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but none of you guys are exactly the picture of health, either."

"What happened to you?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Brass knuckles, a bat, some electroshock bullshit."

"That doesn't sound like 'nothing much.'" Elena said.

"Well, what happened to me isn't important right now. Who else is here?" Nate asked.

"Well, there's me." A voice said from down the aisle.

An old man, nearly 60, wearing a red button down walked up to Nate and held out his hand.

Nate threw his arms around him.

"Uh, kid," Sully said tentatively after a minute "not that I'm not happy to see you too, but this is getting a little uncomfortable."

"Sorry." Nate pulled away from Sully. "It's just….I thought you were dead, for a while."

"You thought I was dead?"

"Yeah?"

"How?"

"They brought in some guy, who ripped them off. He had a mask on, made him look just like you. And they killed him."

"Christ."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm here now. We're all here."

"We're all-"

"Yeah. She's in the front."

Nate ran down the aisle, turned, and saw Ellie, curled up on a seat, sleeping.

Nate knelt down next to her, and kissed her on the head.

"Alright. We need to get the hell off this plane." Nate said.

"Wait, what?" Elena asked

"I'm serious. We need to get off this plane now, before it takes-"

There was a slamming sound, and low rumble as the turbines started up. There was a tone, and the 'fasten seatbelt' light flickered on above every seat.

"Crap." Nate said.

The next several hours passed in a somewhat tentative, if barely comfortable silence. Decent meals were brought out by a steward about halfway through the flight. Nate, and Elena sat in one row with Ellie, Cutter, Chloe, and Sully taking the row across from them.

One by one, they all fell asleep.

They woke up to a shaking and rumbling as the plane landed.

There was a sound of boots swiftly moving through the hallway towards them.

Armed guards swept into the section of the plane. One of them tossed a bag that, upon further inspection, contained coats.

Led out of the plane with rifles at their backs, they saw Jayden and Talbot approach them.

"Nate, what the hell is going on here? How is that asshole Talbot still alive? He's supposed to be dead, right?" Sully asked in hushed tones.

"I don't know how he's here, but he is. Just roll with it." Nate replied.

"Just roll with it? Did you honestly say 'just roll with it?'" Cutter asked.

"Yeah. I did."

"Well, that's bleeding lovely. That's right up there with 'What could possibly go wrong?'" Cutter whispered.

"Just, leave the talking to me. Guy in charge of this knows me, and he needs my help."

"What with?" Chloe asked.

"Finding Atlantis."

"Atlantis? Really?" Elena asked incredulously.

"Yeah, really. Or at least he thinks so."

"Mr. Drake. Mr. Sullivan. . Cutter. ." Jayden said, exuding the pretense of happy concern.

"Cut the feel-good crap, Jayden. Where are we?" Nate asked.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize one of your old stomping grounds, Nathan." Jayden said. "Come with me."

Jayden led them off a small airfield, and into the view of mountains. Mountains everyone there but Cutter and Talbot knew quite well.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Nate said.

"Not at all. Welcome back to Tibet, ." Jayden said, smiling.

**Yep. Back to good old Tibet. ** **Also, I know, Jayden is a little weird choice of name, but I'm coming off of a Heavy Rain marathon(watching the entire game via online playthrough videos, since I unfortunately don't own it) so I was influenced. Plus, I couldn't think up anything better. Remember, thoughts on whether or not I should star a separate series would be appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

The More Things Change

Chapter 9

Hows, Whys, Sealed Files, and Hidden Doors

**Note: Due to lack of feedback, and my own decision-making, the story will still continue in The More Things Change. Just a warning, if you're a stickler for fantastical-place-info-accuracy, things are going to drop off from here on. I'm applying a twist to Atlantis as a whole, based on my own imagination on a cool twist that could be applied, and from information I saw while doing some research but can't seem to find again(what's up with that?) I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Comments, reviews, and criticisms are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

"Why?" Nate asked.

"Excuse me?" Jayden replied.

"Why Tibet, again?" Nate asked.

"Simple. It's the most promising lead out of all of modern society's attempts to find Atlantis." Jayden pulled out a cigarette. He put it in his mouth and lit with a match he pulled from the opposite pocket.

"And what is this promising lead?" Elena chimed in.

"!938. Nazi Germany mounted an expedition to find the lost city. The trail of the expedition ended here in Tibet."

"I think we already found that one, like three years ago." Chloe said.

"You're referring to the Shambahla expedition, of course. No, the venture I'm referring to was an entirely separate operation. And something must have come up along the way."

"How do you figure that?" Sully asked.

"Every bit of information pertaining to this expedition has been sealed since the end of the second World War. Whatever the Germans assumed had happened must have been big. Plus, there's no record of any activity after the expedition reaches Tibet. An company of SS officers on a secret mission that might prove vital to the war effort doesn't just drop off the grid in the mountains, hang up their coats, and go native. Something happened here. And I aim to find out what."

"Given that you know so much, why do you need my help again?" Nate asked.

"As I told you earlier; you're the best, and that's what I need."

"You flatter me."

Several black trucks pulled up in front of them.

"I believe our transportation has arrived. Get in." Jayden said.

Nate didn't move.

There was the sound of a gun being cocked.

Nate turned around and saw Talbot pointing a pistol at Elena's head.

Nate got into the nearest truck.

Nate was joined by Elena, Ellie, Talbot, and Jayden. A man in a dark blue suit sat in the drivers' seat.

"Why'd you even bother bringing all of us along?" Elena said angrily.

"Let's just say that I prefer to keep all my eggs in one basket, Mrs. Fisher. Or is it Mrs. Drake, now?" Jayden said.

She didn't answer.

"Now, , I'd liked to make use of your expertise." Jayden pulled a map from a briefcase resting in the truck. "This map marks the path the expedition took, but the route was lost somewhere along the line, presumably when they went somewhere they couldn't contact anyone, keep them updated as to their location. We haven't been able to determine exactly where they were heading, or where they ended up."

Nate looked over the mat, following the dotted lines all across the mountain ranges of Tibet, until he found the point where the lines intersected and stopped. He thought about it for a minute.

"Did you ever consider that maybe they stopped there and never came back, for whatever reason?" He asked.

"We did, but it seemed too, well… it didn't seem likely."

"We found Ubar with a star chart. Sometimes the most mundane solutions are the right ones. We head to where their trail stopped, and see what we find."

The ride lasted for several hours.

Finally, the trucks pulled over.

Jayden opened the door on his right, and got out.

Everyone else followed suit.

"What the hell?" Nate said.

In front of them was a giant gorge.

"This wasn't on the map." Talbot said.

"I guess maybe we know why the expedition was never heard from again." Elena said tentatively.

Nate looked at the gorge closely.

"Jayden, you willing to waste one of those matches?" He asked.

"Certainly." Jayden handed him a lit match.

Nate tossed it into the gorge, and watched as it stopped in midair at the very top.

"I don't think this is real." Nate said. "Tell me you have some rope, or bungee cables, or something."

"That we do."

Nate tied a cable around his waist, and took a tentative step outwards, his foot hovering over what seemed to be a sheer drop.

He moved his foot down, and met what felt like solid ice where there should have been empty air.

He took another step, and had the exact same result.

"Hey, Talbot. Try doing something other than threatening my wife." Nate said. "Shoot there." Nate pointed to the end of the gorge.

"Why?" Talbot asked scathingly.

"Consider it testing a theory."

Talbot pulled out his pistol, and fired three shots.

The shots sparked and bounced off halfway along what appeared to be the length of the gorge.

"Thought so." Nate said. He untied the cable, and walked to where the bullets lay. They were flattened completely, compressed into small disks of metal.

He tapped a fist at a spot just above the bullets.

There was a hissing sound, followed by a grinding sound.

The image of the gorge faded away, revealing ice and an large door of strange slightly green-tinted metal, with glowing red veins running through it.

The door slowly split in two and slid open, revealing a long passageway, completely dark save for the glowing veins that matched the ones on the door.

"So who wants to go first?" Nate asked.

**Be prepared for crazy tech, grisly deaths, and some geographical guesswork(on my part) in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

The More Things Change

Chapter 10

Of Discoveries, Flesh Machines, and Things Ventured

**Note: As I said, from here on, I'm taking creative liberties with Atlantis. And I plan to exercise those liberties liberally. I'm just warning up front, that if I manage to properly get down what I have in my head, this'll be a pretty intense, creepy-in-a-WTF-way chapter. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews, criticisms, and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

I'll go first." Jayden said. He motioned to the one of the guards, who went to the nearest truck and removed a case of clip-on flashlights.

Jayden attached one to his belt, and turned it on, shining the beam into the tunnel.

The interior looked to be the same material as the door; green-tinted metal with glowing read veins running through it.

"Cheery." Sully said.

Jayden walked to the open doorway, and took a tentative step over.

Then he took another.

"I think it's safe." He said.

Everyone else grabbed a light and followed.

They were about ten feet into the tunnel when the doors suddenly shut behind them.

"Figures." Nate said.

"You aren't worried about that?" Jayden asked.

"No, but I'm used to that sort of thing happening by now." Nate replied.

After about another fifty feet, the tunnel widened into a large room.

Large circular containers lined the walls.

"What d'you think is in these?" Chloe asked.

"I'd rather we not find out. Generally, large tanks left in dark, creepy metal tunnel-rooms don't have things you want to meet inside them." Cutter said, eyeing the containers apprehensively.

"A sound observation." Jayden added.

The room of containers led into into another tunnel, this one going on for much longer.

When the second tunnel finally ended, it opened up to another large room, this one with a large device built into the back wall.

"I'd say this is the end of the line." Nate said. He sniffed the air. "God. Does anyone else smell that?"

"What, that rotting-meat stench?" One of the guards asked.

"Yeah, that one."

"Good. Didn't want to be the only one."

They advanced into the room, moving slowly. As they neared the device at the back wall, the smell got stronger and fouler.

"Christ. What is that?" Sully asked, gagging.

Nate shined his light off to the left, where he saw that the red veins were blocked and the beam came to rest on a mangled body, half-buried in some of the circuitry trailing into the device.

Cutter quickly turned around and threw up.

Talbot approached the body, pulled out his pistol, and prodded it. Some of the flesh on its face dripped off onto the barrel of the gun, revealing wires of the green-tinted metal meshing with bone and muscle.

"Well, that's interesting." Tablot remarked curiously.

"Okay, that aint right. I'm getting a really bad feeling about this place." Sully said adamantly.

Nate turned around, checking various spots where the red veins weren't visible, finding more bodies, all just as butchered, and in the same state of being overrun by whatever the place was made out of.

"Well, I guess now we know why that expedition vanished." He said.

Jayden walked up to the device.

"Whoa, wait. What are you doing?" Nate asked.

"Just taking a look." Jayden replied, seemingly unconcerned by the apparently melting corpses.

Jayden reached the very front of the device, and a circular slot opened in front of him.

Prongs extended out of the slot, red energy sparking between them.

The prongs flared, and a holographic half-globe was formed out of small hexagons, each emblazoned with a strange symbol.

Jayden reach out.

"Okay, now really, what the hell are you doing?" Nate asked.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Jayden said.

He saw that certain symbols repeated across the circle, except for five. Each of them was placed in a position that was roughly equivalent to the placement of fingers.

Jayden rested his hand on the globe, setting his fingers on the five symbols.

The device in the wall flashed on, a panel sliding open.

As the panel opened completely, an map of the world appeared, with a large yellow dot just off the east coast of Africa.

"Perfect." Jayden said, smiling. "Now, what do you want to bet that if we head there, and go down, we find the city?"

"I'm not sure I want to find after seeing this." Elena said.

"Well, unfortunately, that isn't up to you, ."

Jayden removed his hand from the interface.

The veins in the floor pulsed once. Then pulsed again. They pulsed one more time, then fell back to their original appearance, but it was clear that despite the fact there weren't bursts of light coming from them, something was happening in them.

"Alright. Pack it up. We're done here." Jayden said.

Walking back through the tunnel, the reached the room with the containers.

"Whoa, wait." Nate said. "That's not right."

One of the containers had opened. Mist curled from the inside, and an almost colorless slime dripped from the edges.

"That can't be good. That cannot be good." Cutter said.

Every guard cocked their rifles.

"I think we all might need guns now." Nate said to Jayden.

Jayden nodded.

The guards handed over pistols of various types.

There was a blasting sound, and suddenly all the flashlights went out, plunging everyone into a barely-lit red darkness.

A hoarse-sounding whir came from behind the group.

The guard at the back screamed and suddenly started gurgling.

Everyone turned around, the flashlights flickering back on.

The guard at the back was being lifted off the ground, a large metal hand and forearm protruding from his back, covered in blood. Attached to the arm was what appeared to be a six-foot-tall robot, its body built of interconnecting plates, with a helmet-looking head, complete with tinted visor where a face would be.

A loud, synthesized moaning filled the air.

The robot threw the body to the ground and charged as everyone opened fire.

**Note: For the synthesized moaning sound, look up the Mass Effect 3 e311 demo, watch the earth segment, and just picture(listen-picture?) the droning sound the reapers make. Cause it's a badass sound for killer machines that works in so many ways.**


	11. Chapter 11

The More Things Change

Chapter 11

Desperate Times

**Note: I'd say I'm sorry about the cliffhanger in chapter 10, but that was kind of planned, so… Anyways, robot pwnage to come. Also, for the sake of this making sense, assume that whenever 'it' is used here, 'it' is referring to the robot. I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews, criticisms, and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.**

As the robot ran at the group, it extended its left arm. Plates around what was its equivalent of a forearm slid back, and a large blade extended out.

Reaching the group, it thrust its arm forward, spearing one of the guards through the chest. Lifting him off the ground, it threw him at the nearest guard, sending them both crashing into the right wall, the second guard hitting with bone-shattering force.

Everyone fired at the robot, but the bullets just bounced off it.

The bot held out its right arm, plates shifting in a subtly different manner.

This time, what looked like some sort of gun rose from inside the arm.

Pointing the device at the guard in front of it, rapid bursts of energy shot from it, effortlessly blowing large holes in the man.

Running at the next guard, it thrust out its foot, catching his head on its heel.

Slamming its foot down, it crushed the guard's head into the floor.

This all took about fifteen seconds.

"Shit! SHIT!" Sully yelled, firing his pistol wildly.

Talbot tried to back up the next guard, and watched helplessly as the guard's head tumbled past him after the bot swept its bladed arm past him. Stumbling backwards as the robot approached him, he tripped and fell.

It loomed over him now, raising its right hand, curling it into a fist.

A bullet pinged off the back of the bot's head.

"Hey! Over here, asshole!"

It turned around.

Nate was standing back at the edge of the room, pistol barrel smoking.

The bot charged.

Nate fired again. This shot hit the bot in the visor, embedding itself in the glass, and it seemed to falter.

Nate got an idea.

He started aiming as carefully as he could, trying to put every shot he could into the visor.

As his clip began to run out, he could see a spiderweb of cracks running through the visor.

Nate rolled out of the way, letting the bot slam into the wall behind him. He ran to one of the dead guards, and grabbed his rifle. He tried firing at the bot, but the rifle was empty.

The bot had now taken interest in one of the few surviving guards, one who had a very large magnum in his hand.

The bot grabbed the man's gun arm, and tore it off, tossing the bleeding appendage over its shoulder.

The arm flopped to the ground near Nate.

He knelt down and started prying the fingers off the gun.

"God, this is disgusting." He said.

Nate slid the gun from the dead hand, and leveled his aim at the bot. It was approaching Chloe and Cutter now.

He fired, and the bot's head twitched as the bullet hit it.

It turned to face him.

He fired at the visor.

The web of cracks deepened.

It charged at him.

He fired again.

It was almost on him.

He fired one more time, and the visor shattered, fragmenting into hundreds of little pieces.

The bot let out another moan, but this one sounded different.

It sounded angry.

Nate felt as though a sledgehammer had hit him in the chest, and suddenly he was on his back, the bot looming over him. He could see right where the visor had been.

Where the visor had been, there was a human face, olive-skinned and twisted, bits of metal and wires poking out at odd places. There wasn't any visible mouth, and the skin right above where one should have been was frayed and dead-looking

Glowing green eyes stared at him, filled with pain, rage, and loathing.

The creature grabbed Nate by the throat and lifted him up.

Nate quickly thrust the gun underneath its arm and right in front of its face, and pulled the trigger twice.

It moaned and dropped him.

He ran around it.

It turned around, black blood seeping from the bullets in its face.

"It's face! It's face isn't metal! Shoot it in the face!" Nate yelled.

Bullets poured on the creature's face, and it fell to it's knees.

It let out one more wailing moan, the dropped to ground, black blood slowly pooling beneath its head.

Nate went over to Talbot and yanked him to his feet.

"Thanks. For getting its attention." Talbot said

"Don't mention it. Really, don't. I don't want to be reminded that I wasted time saving your sorry ass." Nate said.

"Alright, as the most valuable non-consenting help, I'm saying we should quit now." Nate said.

"And why should we do that?" Jayden asked.

"We just got massacred by a six-foot-tall death-cyborg! That's not reason enough to say 'Screw this, I like life too much to keep going!'?" Nate asked.

"I'm with you." Elena said. Sully, Chloe, and Cutter nodding in agreement.

Even Talbot looked a little worried.

"Well, let me tell you why we're going to keep going. Because where the rest of you are all seeing something to be feared and avoided, all I see is verification." Jayden said, gazing at the cyborg.

"Verification?" Elena asked.

"That this venture will turn up something."

"Just don't tell me you have vague plans for military contracts in your head. Those never work out." Chloe said.

"While I can't deny that such creatures would be useful as deterrents, I was thinking more along the lines of civil application."

"Civil application?" Sully asked.

"How many years until you won't be able to walk unaided, ?" Jayden asked. "Ten, fifteen? What if there was technology available that made such issues moot?"

"You're saying you want to take a death-bot and turn it into prosthetics?" Cutter asked.

"That's one possible application, but there's also the underlying technology. Who knows how long that thing was down here. And it was clearly in top form, suffering no loss from being confined here. If we had universal access to that metal, or to whatever is powering that thing, think what could be done."

"I'm probably going to regret saying this, but are you crazy?" Nate asked.

"I hope not. Try to understand, I never intended to make a name for myself doing this. I'm doing this because I hope to find something that can benefit the world."

"That something being six-foot killer-cyborgs?"

"Perhaps, but we're sure to find similar technology at Atlantis itself."

"Listen, I'm the guy who wasn't deterred by 300 miles of desert, giant spiders, evil-looking carvings, and a bunch of creepy old-English warnings, and I'm telling you, this will end in tears." Nate said insistently.

"Thank you, , I'll take that under advisement. Now let's get out of here, please." Jayden said, walking briskly past them and into the tunnel that led back to the door to Tibet.

**Bit of a tame ending, compared to the last two chapters. **


End file.
